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tUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. SPRINGER, OF PHILADELPHIA', PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR IO HIMSELF AND W. F. WEAVER, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER-BOX.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,052, dated March 22, 1?-564; antedated March 9, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPrI H. SPRINGER, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Letter-Box; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to t-he letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of a box, ot' any suity able exterior form, having in the interior three inclined or curved plates, arranged in respect to the opening for the admission of letters, as described hereinafter, so as to prevent the Withdrawal of the contents of the box through the said opening.

1n order to enable others to make and use Iny invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner of constructing the same.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a vel tical section ot' my improved letter-box, and Fig. 2 a front view of the same with the door open.

A is a box, of wood or metal, permanently closed on tive of its sides, the sixth side bcing provided with a suitable hinged door, B, on which is a lock, C, of any desired construction, whereby the said door can be secured or released at pleasure. A plate, D, of the form, or approximating to the form, represented in Fig. l, extends from side to side ot' the box, and is arranged in the manner illustrated, there being a longitudinal openin g, a, between the upper edge ot this plate and the top of the box, land another opening, b, in the door B, coinciding with the opening a. Another curved or inclined plate, E, extends from the corner x of the box to y, and between the lower edge of this plate and that of the plate D is an opening, t', of sufficient width to permit letters, newspapers, 8vo., of ordinary dimensicns to pass freely. A third inclined plate, F, extends from the pointd to the point e. On passing a letter or newspaper through the openings b and a it will slide down the curved or inclined plate D and drop through the opening z' between the lower edges of thc plates D and E, and then, striking the curved or inclined plate F, will be deiiected by thc latter toward the front vof the box, from which it may, with other letters or newspapers, be removed after unlocking and opening the door B. It will be observed that when a letter or newspaper is deposited in the box great ditlculty will be experienced in removing it without unlocking the door, the key of which is in possession ot' the owner of the box. Even it' aninstrument or an elastic strip with cement at the end could be passed through the openings a and b, so as to seize or adhere to a letter, its withdrawal would be frustrated either by the lower edge of the plate D or that ot' the plate E, with one or other of which the letter must come in contact.

Without conining myself to any particular external form of box I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to claim, broadly, the use in letter-boxes of a plate so arranged as to prevent the withdrawal'of letters; but

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 'l A box furnished with a suitable door, and having in the interior the three inclined or curved plates D E F, arranged in respect to the opening for the insertion of letters, &c.,

'as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOSEPH H. SPRINGER.

Witnesses:

HENRY HowsER, JOHN WHITE. 

